Hydrocarbon Processing - September 2022 - 65

100th Anniversary
History of the HPI
LEE NICHOLS, VP, Content/Editor-in-Chief
The 1960s: Synthetic oils, zeolite catalysts,
LLDPE, OPEC and and creation of the PLC
During the 1960s, the global refining
and petrochemical industries witnessed
new processes and products that
enhanced the daily lives of millions of
people around the world. The decade
was responsible for the creation of new
petrochemical products to provide better
and more durable goods within many industrial
sectors and consumer goods applications.
Other innovations, such as the
creation of synthetic oils and synthetic
zeolite catalyst, enhanced processing operations
and engine/fuel performance in
the automobile and aviation sectors. The
1960s was also a prominent decade for
LNG trade [the first transatlantic LNG
cargo was carried on the Methane Pioneer
in early 1959 from Constock's LNG production
facility in Louisiana (U.S.) to the
UK; the UK also received the world's first
commercial LNG cargo from Shell's Methane
Pioneer vessel in October 1964 from
Algeria; LNG exports from Alaska (U.S.)
to Japan commenced in the late 1960s],96
the creation of the programmable logic
controller (PLC)-a significant evolution
in automation-and the creation of
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC), which was, and still
is, a major force in setting global oil prices.
Creation and widespread adoption
of synthetic oils. Although the first synthetic
hydrocarbon oils were produced
in 1877 by French chemist Charles Friedel
and American chemist James Mason
Crafts (i.e., Friedel-Crafts alkylation and
acylation reactions), synthetic oils did
not see widespread adoption until postWorld
War 2 (WW2).
Prior to WW2, several individuals developed
new reactions to produce synthetic
oils. These included German scientists
Friedrich Bergius, Franz Fischer and
Hans Tropsch (the Bergius and FischerTropsch
processes were detailed in the
1920s and 1940s history segments), as
well as American researcher F. W. Sullivan
while working at Standard Oil of Indiana
(U.S.). Sullivan's team tried to commercialize
synthetic oils in 1929; however,
this attempt was challenged due to lack
of demand. Regardless, Sullivan published
a paper in 1931 titled " Synthetic
lubricating oils relation between chemical
constitution and physical properties, "
which, along with research from the German
chemist Hermann Zorn, provided a
foundation for the future widespread use
of synthetic oils in the aviation and the
automobile sectors-Zorn and his team
researched more than 3,500 synthetic
esters during the early 1940s to find an
alternative to petroleum oil to help fuel
Germany's war machine.97,98
The need for synthetic oils did not
materialize until Germany's invasion of
the Soviet Union during WW2. During
the Battle of Stalingrad, the harsh Russian
winter demobilized German tanks,
fighter planes and other military vehicles.
The main culprit: temperature. Conventional
petroleum oil could not stand
up to the frigid temperatures during the
harsh Russian winter. These oils were
produced through conventional distillation,
which has several drawbacks, including
solidifying in low temperatures,
rendering its use extremely ineffective in
extremely cold environments-conventional
distillation could not completely
remove impurities such as waxes, which
would solidify in cold temperatures, leading
to the inability of engines to start.98
This event demonstrated that a new form
of lubricating oil was needed.
The use of synthetic oils found its demand
within aircraft engines during and
post-WW2. While Zorn was conducting
widescale tests on different synthetic esters
in Germany, American chemist William
Albert Zisman was researching synthetics
at the Naval Research Laboratory
in Washington D. C. (U.S.). His work
(1942-1945)-detailed in the technical
article " Synthetic lubricant fluids
from branched-chain diesters physical
and chemical properties of pure diesters, " 99
-led
to the development of the
first diester synthetic base oils, a precursor
to the development of modern synthetic
lubricants.98,100
With the creation
of the jet engine in the 1940s, synthetic
oils were able to protect engine components
against extreme temperatures during
flight, a challenge that conventional
oils could not accomplish. As a result,
synthetic oils were used for military and
commercial air travel.
It was not until the 1960s that the idea
of using synthetic oils in the automoFIG.
1. Albert Amatuzio developed the
world's first synthetic motor oil to meet
API service requirements. For this, he is
known as a pioneer in synthetic lubrication.
Photo courtesy of AMSOIL.
Hydrocarbon Processing's Centennial Anniversary | SEPTEMBER 2022 65
Hydrocarbon Processing - September 2022

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